Of Wings and Rings
by Chachiri NoDa
Summary: A sort of crossover between GW and Lord of the Rings. The Gundam pilots wind up in the book and find themselves drafted into the Fellowship.
1. The Letter and the Color Pink

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Warnings: Contains Yaoi couplings. Slight out-of-character-ness. A curse word or two.

Chapter One: The Letter and the Color Pink

All had been quiet that morning. Quiet unusual if one knew the inhabitants of the house. There were five young boys, almost men but not quite, residing within the walls. These boys were not your average, hormone-driven teenagers, however. They had fought battles and outwitted men twice their age, height, and body mass. They had welcomed danger with warm, open arms and sent it away again. These unique individuals did not come together often, oh dear no; they had lives to live. Loneliness had drawn them to this lovely home. The need to be with someone who went through what you went through can bring enemies together.

And if one didn't know better, they would think that had happened here.

Enter Chang Wufei, a tanned Chinese boy wearing a black tank top and bright white pants. His silky black locks were pulled back into their usual tight ponytail and his deep obsidian eyes were wide open. The emotion in them matched the rather annoyed snarl that graced his otherwise pleasant features. The katana in his hand seemed to aid in the over all image that he presented.

Someone was gonna die.

That someone currently sported a manga issue of FAKE and was humming the theme song from Fushigi Yuugi. He sat with his legs draped over the side of a recliner with the lamp casting unnecessary light over his shoulder; despite the fact it was ten in the morning, and the sun shone clearly enough one could find a small needle buried in the deep carpet, if it had been there. The young, oblivious, future victim was wearing his trademark black, this time in a tight t-shirt and leather pants ensemble. The meter-long chestnut braid was haphazardly draped over the back of the chair as a pair of wide violet eyes scanned the pages of his shounen ai manga eagerly.

All was still silent as Wufei stood quietly behind the recliner, scanning the pages' content in mild disgust. Wufei's eyes glittered brightly upon seeing the vulnerable braid resting at the perfect angle for him to cut off cleanly. The snarl turned into a particularly evil smile as Wufei brought the sword to bear.

All was saved by the rather sudden -- and fortunate -- entrance of a small blonde-haired Arabian with large blue eyes and the most intimidating pout known to man. Quatre Raberba Winner came to a complete and utter halt just inside the door and gave a yelp in surprise. This triggered Duo's head to come up and catch sight of the near disaster. The now aware Duo Maxwell leapt from his chair and put as much distance (and Arabian) as possible between them.

Quatre looked wide-eyed at Wufei in worry, "Wufei, what did he do now?"

Duo gave Quatre an evil look as Wufei continued to steam and gave his answer, "Maxwell has been in my room."

Quatre sighed, "Duo's been in everyone's room, Wufei--including yours on numerous occasion. Why is this different?"

Wufei's eye twitched as he continued, "This time he painted my bed sheets pink."

A long pause as Quatre took that in, "Painted?"

"Painted."

Quatre glanced back at Duo curiously before turning back to Wufei, "He's all yours."

Duo and Wufei looked after Quatre as he exited the room in shock, "Nani?"

"Did he just leave me to die, or worse, to be possibly de-braided?" Duo asked Wufei.

"Yes, I believe he did," Wufei said, equally stunned.

They stood there motionless for a moment before turning to each other and nodded.

"Something's bothering, Q-man," Duo said, laying his manga on the nearby end table, "I wonder if he had a fight with Trowa."

"Maybe, few things make him this indifferent to me spilling your blood all over his white carpet," Wufei said, "Should we check on him?"

Duo nodded and the two marched after their host. Quatre was seated at the table with a teacup in his hands, gazing into it longingly.

"You know, Quat, if that cup's empty, no amount of starin's gonna fill it," Duo said sitting beside him as Wufei grabbed the tea kettle and poured some more for Quatre and some for himself, pausing before the refrigerator to get Duo a carbonated drink, before sitting down beside them.

"Thank you," Quatre told Wufei, before turning to Duo, "And thank you for stating the blatantly obvious."

Duo and Wufei both blinked as Quatre once again did something strangely out of character. They exchanged worried glances before taking a sip of their respective drinks and waiting patiently. They knew that Quatre was the type who would start explaining himself immediately without prompting.

"You wanna know what's wrong, don't you?" Quatre said, gazing into his now-filled teacup. "I suppose you expect me to tell you all about it too."

They both nodded in response as Quatre sighed and continued, "Okay, I'll talk. It happened last night before I went to bed. You guys know that with Trowa on a mission I sleep in his room, right?"

Nods occurred as they urged him to continue. "Well, see, I got changed and was sliding into bed when my hand slide beneath the pillow and brushed against something. Now before you guys start giving me looks, the gun is nestled between the headboard and mattress on a secret shelf, so that wasn't it. It was something flat that had been tucked into his pillow. Not the one I normally use, but HIS pillow. I pulled it out and it turned out to be a letter."

"This doesn't sound too good, Quatre," Duo said, "What kind of letter?"

"A love letter, not written by me, but written for Trowa," Quatre sighed, looking near tears, "And you can guess who had to have written it."

It took little calculation to figure that one out. Remember, only five people lived in said house and only one of them could have slid the letter in. Three of them are sitting at the table. Quatre said he didn't right it and the letter was news to both Duo and Wufei. Trowa wouldn't write himself a love letter so that left only one person--

"HEERO!!" Duo shouted, sputtering his soda onto Wufei, "MY HEERO!!!!"

Quatre nodded, "I'm afraid so, Duo. And it didn't sound like the first one that had been sent."

"My Heero!" Duo muttered into his soda can, "My Heero wrote Trowa a love letter. HOW COME HE NEVER WROTE ME A LOVE LETTER?!"

Duo rose from his chair shouting obscenities about Heero's possible ancestry as Quatre slumped down onto the table in tears. Wufei was cleaning soda from his shirt, deciding that it was pointless, he removed said shirt and tossed it into the corner. Wufei sent a glare after Duo's retreating form as Duo marched up the stairs.

"I'll show him not to write love letters to people other than his koi! He's gonna wish he never heard the name Duo Maxwell!"

Wufei stared up at the ceiling as Duo's footfalls echoed down to him as heavy stomps. He glanced over at the broken form of Quatre before sighing to himself and giving Quatre a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Listen, Quatre, I know how much you care about Trowa and I can guess how you feel. Wait till he returns from the mission and explains himself before casting stones like Duo is doing. You may be surprised at what you discover."

Quatre looked up at him with tearful, wide, blue eyes that were filled with hope, "Do you think so, Wufei?"

Wufei nodded, "I know most don't think me very adept when it comes to love, but it's obvious that Trowa cares about you as much as you care about him. The letter will be explained with good reason. Try not to worry."

Quatre leapt from his chair and embraced the now startled Wufei, "Thank you, Wufei. I needed that."

Wufei blushed as he attempted to gently pry the blond off, "It's nothing, Quatre. Nothing at all."

After succeeding to extricate himself from the upset, but reassured Arabian, Wufei made his way upstairs in hopes of stopping Duo from damaging more belongings that Duo mistaken for Heero's.

"Duo?" Wufei call out as he stepped into the shared bedroom that was Duo and Heero's. It looked like OZ troops had thoroughly ransacked it and then let loose a Mobile Doll on the remains. 

Duo had in his hands a hardcopy of one of Heero's mission logs and was doing his best to defile it. Duo had found a black spray can and was using what was left in the pink one the decorate it and anything else that he remembered was Heero's. 

"Uh, Duo, I don't think that's wise," 

"And why not?! Heero just up and decided that he didn't want me and wanted a rather attractive guy with an uni-bang! Why would he need his copy of Trowa and his missions if Trowa's suddenly became so handy?!"

"Why aren't you destroying any of Trowa's stuff?"

"Cause I don't know what's his and what's Quatre?!"

Duo finished with the mission logs and moved on to Heero's closet. He tossed a series of green tank-tops to the floor and, using the pink spray can, began to write "Relena's #1 Fan" on the front of each of them. 

"I really think you are getting out of hand, Duo," Wufei said calmly, "You didn't even read the letter yet."

"It doesn't matter," Duo whispered, "Heero can't be sappy worth shit, but I have a pretty good idea that he put some extra effort into it! Probably quoting that Shaky guy and everything!"

"Shakespeare?"

"Yeah, him!" Duo said, moving on to the spandex shorts and writing "Rented to Trowa Barton" on the butt. "The nerve of that guy! We've been together since before the war ended and he decides he wants that tall, handsome uni-banged acrobat over me!"

Wufei raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem that mad at Trowa."

"How can I be? It's not like he could STOP Heero from writing that letter. Trowa might not even be interested in Heero. And with a keester like his I can understand why Heero would give him a second look."

Wufei sighed and left them room muttering something about "bakas" and "okamas".

--------

Author's Note: How was that for a beginning, huh? This will evolve in time to a Lord of the Rings crossover and will center on more that just messed up love triangles. In case you are unaware, 'baka' means fool or idiot in Japanese. 'Okama' is a term Tasuki calls Nuriko (FY reference), and while I'm not entirely sure what it means, I think it means 'gay' or something of that nature. I will continue to write whether reviews come or not, but if you wanna review it cheer poor Quatre up. ^-^ 


	2. And So They Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Warnings: Yaoi couplings. 

Chapter Two: 

They had hit the eye of the storm. The initial anger had struck and passed, all they waited for was for Trowa and Heero to return from their mission and make the final confrontation, one that would either make or break the relationships within the house.

Heero and Trowa were due at ten o'clock the next morning and when 9:45 hit the digital clock on the living room wall, three pilots sat there waiting. Wufei had decided it would be best to be here for this. He might be the only thing preventing bloodshed at this point, for Duo seemed to be containing violent tendencies. Quatre was rather quiet and seemed to have resided himself to failure.

Ten minutes later, the door creaked open and a shuffle of feet was heard. The two unaware pilots gave the living room only the briefest of glances before heading up the stairs to put their things away.

"Why those insensitive, no good-- They don't even have the decency to say hello!" Duo said, rising to his feet and preparing to march after them. Only Wufei's well-placed foot prevented that however, and Duo found himself with a mouth full of carpet fuzz.

"Wait for them to come back down. You waited twenty-four hours already; what is fifteen minutes?"

Duo stubbornly returned to his seat, muttering at stupid Chinese logic and then fell silent as a new noise filled the room. Wufei and Duo turned their heads to note that the blonde Arabian was slumped over his knees, which he had pulled up toward his chest. The boy was rocking back and forth and it was obvious that he was crying.

"Quat-" Duo started.

But Quatre interrupted with a loud and un-kept sob, "It's over!"

Wufei blinked, "but I thought you agreed to wait until he explained himself before deciding that."

"I didn't have to wait! That was the first time Trowa didn't seek me out after he returned from a mission. He always came to tell me he was home and greeted me with a kiss."

Quatre's small body shook, "He doesn't want me anymore!"

"Who doesn't want you anymore?"

The three of them snapped their heads up to see Trowa standing in the door gazing softly at Quatre. "What's the matter, Little One?"

Quatre bit back a sob as Trowa walked over and knelt in front of him. Trowa smoothed back Quatre's hair and placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. Quatre looked upon him with wide eyes before falling out of his chair and landing in Trowa's lap, embracing him with a tight hug. 

"Oh, I forgive you, Trowa!"

Duo sighed, "Yeah, he sure lasted long. Forgave him before he even brought up the letter."

Wufei just smiled faintly as Trowa gave a bewildered look. 

"What's going on?" Trowa asked. "What did you forgive me for?"

"Cheating on me with Heero."

A long pause occurred and Trowa's thoughts were hidden from them as his eyes were behind his bangs. They all waited for Trowa to respond, wanting to know if he would admit the deed or not.

"I'm sorry, Quatre," Trowa said softly, "I was going to tell you. How did you find out?"

"Heero left you a letter in your pillow," Quatre said, not releasing his grip on Trowa. "I found it and read it."

"Oh Quatre, if only you hadn't. I was going to tell you about it when I got back."

"How long has it been going on?" Quatre asked, voice muffled by Trowa's shirt.

"About a month," Trowa replied honestly, "I never expected to last that long."

During their discussion, Duo had risen back to his feet and made to lunge for Trowa when Wufei once again prevented disaster by face-planting him into the carpet. Wufei then sat on his back and waited calmly for the interlude to finish.

"Quatre, I love you. This thing with Heero is-"

"WAS!" Duo shouted from his position buried on the floor, "Past tense! Whatever happened between you and Heero is OVER!"

Trowa and Quatre seemed startled to hear Duo's voice, having forgotten that anyone else had been in the room. Duo's menacing look didn't have the much an effect since Wufei's bum was resting on his back, and Wufei had occupied himself with playing with Duo's braid. This left a rather amusing site.

"Where IS Heero?" Quatre asked.

Wufei mumbled absently, not looking up from the braid, "Probably upstairs, dead due to over-pink-exposure."

Quatre giggled, as Trowa looked confused. Duo however got a maniacal grin upon his face and flipped Wufei off him so he could run upstairs to see what Heero thought about his redecoration. Wufei uprooted himself from the carpet and watched him go sadly.

"Somehow, I don't think this will go too well."

Quatre and Trowa exchanged worried glances and made to go upstairs. Wufei raised his hand to stop them however. 

"You guys settled this without them, let them do the same."

Quatre protested, "but they could get-"

"Maybe they won't, Quatre," Wufei said. "But then, maybe they will."

~*~*~*~

Duo walked through the open door to see Heero staring at a pair of his shorts with his expressionless mask firmly in place. Duo stood silently as Heero let them fall to the ground. Heero turned to cast a glance sideways toward Duo. 

"What have you done to my clothes?"

Duo crossed his arms smugly, "Don't you know pink spray paint when you see it?"

Heero glanced down at the words "Rented to Trowa Barton" before looking up at Duo. "You found out."

"Damn right, I found out," Duo said, letting the smug look fall to reveal the angry one hidden beneath. "How could you, Heero?! I thought you loved me! I thought you'd never do something like this!"

"You thought wrong."

Silence fell with Duo's face. Duo could feel his heart land by his feet with a heavy and resounding thud. Heero had just said he didn't love him.

Silence fell as Heero's eyes widened, realizing far too late the difference between what he meant and what Duo understood. He was trying to state the Duo had misplaced his trust when he thought Heero to have fidelity toward him. Duo however, didn't see it that way.

"How. . ." Duo stuttered. "How. . .why . . . what happened?"

Duo's eyes fell to the ground as if he was looking for the pieces of his broken heart upon the carpet. Heero felt a pang in his chest at the sight. Duo's head slowly rose up however with the lost look . . . lost.

"Well, I guess that's for the best. You were nothing more than a good lay while it lasted," Duo said, letting the words fall off his tongue as he turned toward the door, closing it behind him and leaving Heero behind, relationship at its end.

~*~

The three in the living room sat silently gazing at the quiet ceiling. There were no longer the sounds of Duo's stomping feet. They all wondered what had occurred.

"You don't think they killed each other, do you?" Quatre asked. "It has gotten awfully quiet."

"Maybe we should check now," Trowa said, trying to reassure Quatre.

Wufei rose from his seat and made his way up the stairs, "Wait here. I'll shout if we need a medic."

Wufei reached the top of the stairs and glanced down the hallway. All the doors were closed except for Heero and Duo's room, the bathroom, and . . . his own. He could have sworn that he closed it before he left it that morning. Wufei walked carefully past the shared bedroom to see Heero sitting on the bed staring at the wall. Wufei passed him and looked in the bathroom, which was as empty as the hallway had been. Wufei arrived at his own door . . . to find Duo curled up on his bed with the pillow firmly planted over his head.

Wufei cautiously stepped inside and pulled the door to. He calmly walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. He rested his hand on Duo's back.

"Are you okay, Duo?"

A muffled 'no' was his only response. Wufei ran his hand up and down Duo's back in what he hoped was a comforting matter. Wufei wasn't his best friend for nothing. This was a job requirement. 

"Will you be?"

There was a long pause before Duo's sobs leaked out beneath the pillow and to Wufei's ears. Wufei removed the pillow and pulled Duo into an upright position. He then wrapped his arms around him and Duo returned the embrace, sobbing softly onto his shoulder. After a few moments time, Duo regained control and sighed, not pulling away from Wufei.

"What happened?"

"He said he didn't love me," Duo said. "Then I told him he was just a good lay."

"You lied," Wufei stated, "I thought you never did that."

"I hadn't before, and now I know why. I feel empty inside."

"That's because of a broken heart, not a false tale."

Duo tightened his grip on Wufei, "I don't understand. How. . . how could he. . . lie to me?"

"You think he didn't mean what he said either?"

"No, I mean he's been lying to me . . . sorta. He mislead me anyway."

"Sometimes that happens, Duo," Wufei said, tightening his own grip. "People don't realize they're doing it."

"You now, Wufei, you've become quite the emotional anchor all of a sudden."

"You know, Duo, this is the second black shirt you've soaked in two days."

A brief pause as Duo took that in and let out a chuckle, "What are friends for, huh?"

Wufei laughed softly, "Not what I meant, but true."

Duo sighed, "Promise that you won't mislead me, Wufei."

There was a long pause before Wufei answered, "I won't mislead you, Duo. I promise. And I won't let others do it anymore either."

Duo retightened his hug before pulling Wufei back onto the bed to lie beside him.

"I wanna take a nap. Wanna join me?"

"Sure, Duo."

-------

Author's note: Well, that was chapter two. I hope it flowed well. I've been pondering whether or not to let Duo and Wufei spark a relationship or to form something more platonic. I have a strong feeling that Trowa and Quatre will remain as they are. I DID just give them a good excuse to break up and they didn't. I'm just to biased toward them I guess. :) Please tell me what you think.


	3. The Morning After

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 3:

Trowa woke up early the next morning as he always did. The blinds just had a way of sitting so the sun managed to squeeze right through and land upon his face. Waking up at dawn had become a habit now, so if the sun simply disappeared from the sky, he still would have been awoken when it should have been there.

Trowa glanced over at Quatre, who had rolled over in his sleep so he was at the far edge of the bed, risking disaster and a personal meeting with the floor. Trowa pulled himself from the bed and studied him a moment before coming to the conclusion of letting him lie. Instead, after checking that Quatre's head wouldn't strike the night stand if he did slip off, Trowa laid his pillow down on the floor to help Quatre's potential fall. He then pulled the cushions from the nearby chairs and placed them strategically around the landing zone. 

Once done, Trowa dressed himself in a pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt. He left the room barefoot and found his slippers down the hall where they had been carelessly tossed. He padded down the stairs and into the kitchen to find that Wufei had not risen yet. Wufei normally beat him to the kitchen and had breakfast started. It seems the everyone had fallen into routines since they all moved in together. It had barely been two months, yet he couldn't help but wonder why Wufei hadn't come down yet. 

Trowa opted for starting breakfast himself instead of investigating and started making pancakes. Trowa knew they were Duo's favorite and he thought it would help smooth some things over in a subtle manner. The affair had sharpen a lot of edges around here and things would be a bit tougher to handle, but Trowa hoped everything would turn out fine in the end. Trowa couldn't remember for the life of him why he and Heero let what happen take place, nor could he figure out why they let it continue. They both knew it would only bring trouble. It seemed rather obvious that Duo and Heero didn't make up. The fact that Heero left a few minutes after Wufei went upstairs had been a sign that things hadn't been pretty. Heero might not come back, and he was sure that Wufei had talked to Duo at some point, for Trowa had glanced around upstairs to find Duo nowhere, meaning he was with Wufei. That might be why Wufei hadn't been downstairs yet. Trowa always wondered the extent of Duo and Wufei's relationship. Trowa, being no expert on emotions, had heard from Quatre that he suspected that the two were closer than their bickering let on. Trowa was better at picking up sexual tension. Trowa thought Wufei wanted Duo. Whether there were emotions there or not, he wasn't sure. 

Trowa found himself with a hefty pile of pancakes before Wufei finally surfaced. Wufei gave him a nodded and gave assistance by dividing the pile up.

"Heero's gone, so don't bother giving him any," Trowa tossed over his shoulder, "He left last night, and he's car isn't here now."

Wufei nodded after the briefest of pauses and continued to divide the pancakes. 

"Quatre still sleeping?" Wufei asked, after placing two pancakes upon Quatre's plate.

"Yep. You'll be signaled by a thud if that changes."

Wufei gave him a funny look before placing four pancakes on Duo's plate. Trowa finished off the last pancake and him and Wufei had three apiece. Wufei finished setting the table and sat down in front of his plate.

"Duo's dozing, he'll be down in a second."

No sooner than the words left his mouth, Duo's stomping was heard overhead. He seemed to wonder from one side of the house to another before appearing in the kitchen and setting down before his plate, already knowing which was his.

"Morning, Quatre asleep?"

Duo and Wufei glanced up when a thud came from upstairs. Trowa sipped on his coffee.

"Not anymore."

Duo started eating as Wufei just stared at Trowa. A few minutes later a ruffle-haired Quatre entered wearing pajama bottoms and one of Trowa's shirts. He seemed slightly out of it as he sat down at the table beside Trowa. Trowa lifted Quatre's plate from one side to the other so Quatre could eat. He then slid Quatre a cup of hot tea. 

"'Morning." Trowa said.

Quatre sipped the tea and nodded, "Thanks for the pillow."

Wufei and Duo gave Quatre confused looks before deciding not to question. Some mornings Quatre just wasn't in the same world they were in. They all finished breakfast and left the dishes for Duo to do. Duo did them quickly as he could and still be efficient before had sprung into the living room to sit with Quatre so they could watch the morning cartoons as they did every morning.

"Did I make it in time for 'Fushigi Yuugi'?" Duo asked.

"Of course," Quatre smiled, much more awake.

Quatre picked up his remote and hit several buttons as he summoned the program. He had gathered a collection of animated programs from centuries back and had programmed them into his entertainment system. Quatre found new stuff all the time and when Duo moved in two months prior, he became addicted to them as well.

"What happened last episode?" Duo asked.

"Tasuki kidnapped Miaka right before Eiken could get her. Remember Hotohori and Nuriko busting in?"

"Oh yeah! I wonder if the Kouji guy will have a bigger role! I really liked him," Duo said his eyes glued to the screen.

"Why? He didn't help Miaka earlier when he should have!" Quatre asked.

"Ah, he was just following orders!" Duo responded.

Before they could continue, Wufei walked into the room and took the remote.

"Hey!" Duo shouted, "What are you doing?!"

"Starting your show so you'll be quiet! I can't concentrate with you guys arguing," Wufei said hitting the start button.

The opening theme of Fushigi Yuugi started and Quatre and Duo were in a trance. Wufei rolled his eyes as he left to return to his meditation when he heard the front door open. Wufei glanced back to see that Quatre and Duo were both oblivious before heading toward the door.

"Good thing Oz never heard of Fushigi Yuugi or we would have lost," Wufei mumbled as he caught sight of Heero heading up the stairs with a large book in his hand. Wufei pondered whether or not to follow and came to the conclusion now was a better time than later to ask his questions.

"Heero," Wufei called as he reached the top of the stairs. Heero stopped outside his room and glanced over at him.

Heero tossed the book upon his bed and called over his shoulder, "If you're asking for Duo, he's all yours."

Wufei contained his mild anger at how Heero so offhandedly tossed Duo aside so he could seem unbiased. "What's the matter with the two of you?"

Heero just looked at Wufei, clearly not having an answer. Wufei rolled his eyes and planted himself on the bed. He picked up the book and read the cover.

"The Lord of the Rings?" Wufei read aloud, "What's this?"

"It's an English book printed back in the A.D. period. It's some kind of fantasy adventure."

"What are you doing with it?"

"I needed something to take my mind off the situation," Heero said, sitting beside Wufei, "That's a long read."

"I can tell," Wufei said thumbing through the omnibus, "three-in-one?"

"Yep, I figure by the time I finish it off, Duo would have calmed down and would have decided what he wanted."

"What do you mean, 'what he wanted'?" Wufei asked, confused.

"Whether to be with me or you, of course," Heero said, wondering why Wufei didn't see it.

Wufei nearly dropped the book on the floor, "What on Earth are you going on about?"

"Oh come on," Heero said, taking the book back, "Duo has had the 'hots' for you for a while. He was gonna cheat on me soon."

"So you cheated first," Wufei stated.

"Yeah, something like that. Duo's confused and he needs a reason to turn on me," Heero explained, "Me being with Trowa was enough to end us."

"And you think I'll pick up the bait and Duo."

"Exactly, then Duo will have you like he wants, realize whether or not it's really what he wanted, and pick which of us he'd rather be with," Heero finished.

"You thought this out," Wufei said, "Does Trowa know?"

"No," Heero said, "I didn't consider that. I didn't really decide on who to cheat on him with. I originally thought I could seduce Quatre easily enough by playing on his 'maternal' instincts, but Trowa happened into my lap. We had a mission together that just went all wrong. We got stuck with one bed and it went from there."

Wufei nodded, "So why are you explaining this to me?"

"I don't know," Heero said, "I guess I needed to confess."

"You've talked more to me since I've walked into this room then our time during the war," Wufei noticed, "Why didn't you confess to Quatre? He's more understanding."

"But you came looking for answers," Heero said, "Quatre is content knowing he still has Trowa."

Wufei nodded and let Heero be. Heero sat on his bed gazing at the book in his hands. Wufei had a deadline. If Wufei could convince Duo that he was the better choice by the time this book was finished, Heero would back away. If not, he was going to try harder than before to make Duo his again.


	4. Dangerous Thoughts and Rhyming Words

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Lord of the Rings. 

Warnings: Duo thinking. Yes, it's dangerous. Duo's thinking about sex. 

Part 4

Duo stretched out across the floor of Wufei's room pondering what he had done. He knew his relationship with Heero was over, but now he had prospects with Wufei before him. 

He didn't know what it was about Wufei that spurned his attraction. He had thought Wufei was rather sexy for a long time now. Maybe it was his hair. Heero's hair was wild and messy. Heero's hair seemed to scream 'Fix me!' and he'd have to bury his hands into it. But Wufei's hair had always been tamed into the ponytail at the nape of his neck. Duo didn't have to put his hands into it to tell that it was silky and soft. Duo had always wanted to play with Wufei's hair, but had thought it might overstep the bounds of his and Wufei's friendship. Now it seemed very unlikely that Wufei would mind the attention.

Now it seemed very likely that Wufei would enjoy the attention. It was a minor change in Wufei. He was positive the end of his relationship with Heero spawned it. Wufei knew where his boundaries were and never tested them, unless he felt that they could be expanded without the need of caution. Wufei's attempts at comforting Duo left Duo the ability to physically touch Wufei without backlash. But how much touching could he get away with now? When would too far be reached with Wufei? And could he grope him next time he passed him in the hall?

Damn, he was horny. What was he gonna do? He obviously couldn't turn back to Heero. Not after all of their conflict. But could he cross that line with Wufei? Did he want to?

Of course he wanted to. Duo had seen the passion Wufei applied to the fight, to his katana, to his martial arts, even in every day conversation, Wufei gave his all and lived in the moments he had. Duo had always wondered what that passion would be like between the sheets. Did Wufei moan and scream? Or was he silent in his bliss? Did he like to be touched behind his ears? Duo did. He didn't know why he did, but it always made him feel giddy. He wondered if it would do the same to Wufei. It didn't effect Heero any. Does Wufei like top or bottom? Does Wufei thrash back in forth? Does Wufei wiggle beneath another's touch? Can he stop this line of questions before he gets a hard on?

Duo glanced at his pants. Nope.

Duo sat up and shook his head to clear it. He decided that he was gonna get Wufei. Somehow, Wufei would be rolling with him between his bed sheets. It was only a matter of time.

Duo rose from the ground and headed out of Wufei's room. Wufei had said something about katana practice after meditation, didn't he? Duo would miss a chance to watch Wufei work up a sweat. Duo headed down the hallway and down the steps. When he reached the bottom, he froze.

Heero was standing in the center of the living room with a book opened at his feet. Heero was gazing at the book intently and seemed to be in deep concentration over something. Quatre was standing with Trowa in the other doorway from the kitchen watching with concern. What was going on here?

It was then that Wufei entered from the front door. Apparently Wufei had went to the store for Quatre and Trowa cause he had a grocery bag in his hand. Heero's eyes were drawn from the book to look at Wufei. Wufei meet his eyes and walked slowly forward, the bag having been dropped carelessly to the floor.

"Is that the book?" Wufei asked.

Heero nodded. "It started to glow."

"What?!" Duo gasped, "What's the matter with you?!"

Quatre and Trowa stepped into the room and gazed down at the book. Duo approached Heero and looked him over curiously.

"Did you flip? Have you finally snapped?"

Heero shook his head and gestured to the book. Duo glanced down and when he did, the book began to glow, just as Heero said.

"What kind of book did you buy, Yuy?" Wufei asked, "What kind of sorcery did you bring into this house?"

Heero shook his head, "The librarian didn't mention this when I borrowed it."

"I can imagine why not," Quatre whispered as he knelt down beside the glowing book. He waved his hand over it and the glow increased like the flames of a fire and attempted to grab a hold of Quatre's hand. Quatre gasped at the contact and backed up, but stumbled back and the glow grew bigger and enveloped him. Then it receded back into the book, Quatre no longer within sight.

"What just happened?" Duo asked gazing at the softly glowing book, "Did it suck him in?"

"Book's don't suck people in, Duo," Heero said and Trowa knelt down to read the pages.

"They do in Fushigi Yuugi! Miaka gets pulled into the -"

"That's a cartoon, Duo," Heero said, "This is life."

"And this is real," Trowa said, "The writing all disappeared."

"What?" the other three said and knelt down to see. 

"Wasn't there a story on these pages?" Trowa asked.

"Yes, a very long story," Heero said, "A thousand pages."

"Not anymore," Wufei said, "It's blank. Wait! What's that?!"

"Words are forming!" Duo shouted, "What do they say?!"

"It's in English," Heero murmured, "It says: 'Watch close, and see here. And whole new story shall appear. Characters that you will see, very familiar they will be. For as this script begins to write, the people will be moved to flight. And upon that final thought, the rest of the cast cannot be forgot!'"

"What the hell does that mean?!" Duo shouted.

"I don't like the sound of that," Wufei said. "Cast? It's looking for more people?"

"No," Trowa said, "I think it already found them."

"Wha-" Duo started but eeped as the writing continued.

"And now look what we have here! Gaze upon our slight blonde dear! Look into his soft blue eyes and maybe catch a glimpse surprise, he knelt down to take a look, and here he is within the book!" Heero read.

"Oh my god!" Duo said, jumping up, "Get away from the book! It's talking about Quatre, get away from the book!"

"But we have to find a way to get him out of there!" Trowa shouted, "We can't abandon him!"

Duo paced behind them, "This is bad, very bad."

"It's still going!" Wufei shouted.

"And then the four begin to read, they are filled with great need. A desire for there friend, and need to know if he met his end," Heero continued, "But one had thus began to pace-"

"That's me!" Duo shouted, dropping to the floor.

"-and his heart began to race. But soon he too will see, where his friend happened to be."

The book's glow grew brighter then and Duo began to crawl away from it. But the book would not be denied and it stretched it's reach all about the room until the light faded and Duo was gone.

"Damn it!" Wufei shouted, "What do we do?! We can't just let it eat us!"

"But what else can we do?" Trowa said. "We can't risk closing the book! What if that seals them in?!"

"Calm down," Heero said, "No need to panic."

"No need to panic!" Wufei shouted, "Two people were just swallowed by a BOOK and there's no need to panic!"

"It writing again," Heero said and then read, "And now the three are getting antsy, falling into the book doesn't fit their fancy. But is a fate none can't escape, and next is the one with a tail at nape."

"What?" Wufei asked, "Tail at nape?"

"Your ponytail," Trowa translated, "Your next."

Wufei swore in Chinese as Heero continued, "And if he think it just, fall into the book he must."

"JUST! JUST! How is that just?!" Wufei shouted, "This is crazy! I've lost my mind!"

Wufei didn't get to finish his rant for the book's glow engulfed him moments later.

Trowa sighed, "Looks like we have no choice in the matter but let it happened. If we want to get them out we're gonna have to do it from in there."

Heero nodded and continued, "And now resigned the last two are, to take upon this journey far. To take this quest onto it's last, buried deep within the past. The quest to deliver the ring of power, take it from tower to tower, and then top the peaks that loom, into the heart of doom. And now to take our last two guests, and set them onto their quest. And with this book's final growth, it shall engulf them both."

And not a moment later they felt the light pass over them, and the ground disappeared beneath them.


	5. Enter the Prancing Pony

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Nor do I own Lord of the Rings.

Author's notes: This took SO long to write. I wish I could say it's because of lack of time, but that would be lying to all of you. This gap between chapters is a result of: A) laziness and B) not liking what I DO write when I push myself to it. With that said, I'm sorry for the wait. Thank you for your patience. I would also like to thank all of my reviewers so far. Also, I'll follow along with most of the movie's plot, since it's easier than searching through the book to stay on track. I might switch up now in then to include stuff that was left out. Now, on with the fic:

Of Wings and Rings

Chapter 5

The rain came down heavy in the town of Bree. It made the grass slick and the stones slicker. People were rushing about and to and fro in order to escape the rain. One may thank the rain, for it prevents the people from taking a watchful eye, and for anyone traveling in secret, that is a blessing most welcome.

No one noticed the four small folk running between them, and if they did, they were thought of nothing more than children. The small folk went from one side of the street to the other and dived into a small inn named _The Prancing Pony_. 

"Excuse me," said one, and the innkeeper, leaning far over his counter to see him.

"Why, hello there, my tiny masters! What brings you into Bree?"

"Our business is our own," he said, "Do you know if a tall fellow in grey has passed through in here?"

"Tall fellow in grey, you say?" The innkeeper repeated, then deviled deep into his memory, "Pointy hat? Long, long beard? Wields a staff and answers to Gandalf?"

"Yes," the voice said, sounding much cheerier, "That's the one!"

"Sorry, Mr. Eh-Mr.-"

"Underhill,"

"Sorry, there, Mr. Underhill, I haven't seen the likes of him in months," the innkeeper said, "would you be wanting a room? We have plenty of hobbit-sized rooms available."

"Yes, thank you," he said.

After purchasing a room for them, they went to dry off and came back to the front where the guests, mostly Big Folk, had gathered for drinks. 

"What will we do now, Mr. Frodo?" asked one of the other hobbits.

"I don't know, Sam," Frodo (who as far as the innkeeper was concerned, Mr. Underhill) said with a sigh, "He should have been here waiting for us."

"I wonder where he could be, or what kept him?" another asked, "Should we continue on without him?"

"No, Merry, let's wait here a couple days to see if he'll surface," Frodo said taking a seat at a table made for hobbits.

"Well, me thinks, I'm getting a drink," the other said, and rushed off toward the bar.

"Wait for me, Pip," Merry said and the two of them disappeared into the crowd.

"Would you like something to drink, Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked, "I'll get it for you if you like."

"No, Sam, I'm quite fine," Frodo said, "though I could use some sleep. We should get off to bed before long."

Sam nodded and they took to watching people around the inn. Most of them were Big Folk. Most of them were drunk as well and the tavern part of the inn was full of noise. The door to the inn opened, and both of them shot hopeful glances toward it. Gandalf did not appear through it however; instead it was a group of five younger Big Folk.

"Mr. Frodo, I think that man in black over in the corner has been staring at us since we got here."

Frodo glanced over, while trying to make it look like he was just looking for Merry and Pippin. Sure enough, there was a man in black in the corner. He had a hood drawn up about his face and had a pipe in has hand. The man seemed to be looking into his pipe at the moment.

"You sure, Sam?"

"Yes, Mr. Frodo," Sam said with up most certainty.

"He'll just have to watch us then," Frodo said. "For I doubt asking him to stop would help us any."

Frodo's attention drifted over toward the table next to them. The five Big Folk that came in earlier were seated there and seemed to still be thoroughly soaked. Frodo noted that they seemed to not be carrying anything about them. Perhaps they were robbed on their journey at some point, for they didn't even have cloaks to battle back the rain.

"What are we going to do?" The one with the long braid asked his fellows. 

"What can we do?" said the one with black hair and oddly shaped eyes. "We are in a book, in a place, far different from our own. What purpose can we serve here?"

"Maybe we are to follow the story," the blonde one said. "What was the story about, Heero?"

The boy that spoke next had his back to Frodo, but his hair was messy and the light made it look mossy green. "It's a story about a hobbit and his friends, who have to travel across the land of Middle-Earth to destroy a ring of power."

Frodo and Sam's eyes widen and they felt themselves frozen in fear. These people knew of their quest? But how?

"A ring?" the braided one asked, his own violet-colored eyes widening. "They want to destroy a ring?"

"Yes, Duo," Heero said with great patience. "A ring. It's evil and must be destroyed before its master finds it."

"Why?"

"Because the world will end if they don't," the blonde said. "Right? That's how all fantasy stories go."

"Right," Heero said. "And they have to journey into the heart of the evil lord's realm to do it."

"Why?" the braided boy, Duo, asked.

Heero sighed, clearly his patience was running thin. "Cause it can only be destroyed in the fires from whence it came."

"But WHY?!" Duo asked.

"Cause it's an evil ring and the book said so," Heero said in a matter-of-fact way.

"But-" Duo was cut off however by the boy who had been silent the whole time. 

"So what part of the story are we in now?" 

Heero looked around him, his gaze resting on the stranger in the corner and then on the bar where Pippin and Merry sat. "This looks like Bree. Probably the _Prancing Pony_."

"That's what the sign said," the boy with the odd-shaped eyes said. 

"Aragorn's still in the corner, which means he hasn't used the ring yet."

"What's it do?" Duo asked.

"Turning the wearer invisible is the only thing I've read about. Beside that, is the drawing power it gives off. People around the ring bearer seem to want it, whether they know what it is or not."

"So the question is, do we join in?" the once silent boy said.

They were all silent for a moment.

"The only way I see it," the blonde said. "Is if we want out of this book, the story has to end. So we have to make sure the story continues until the ring is destroyed."

"So what do we do right now, wait until the ring is used, or find this hobbit now and drag him to-"

"Mount Doom," Heero supplied. "That's what they call it in Rivendell."

"How reassuring," Duo said.

"It'll happen any second now," Heero said. 

"What will?" Duo asked.

"Pippin will call Frodo by name."

"He knows your name as well, Mr. Frodo!" Sam said in a hushed voice, but not hushed enough, for the five boys around the table seemed to stiffen.

"They heard you!" Frodo cried.

It was then that a voice rose up from the bar " . . . Baggins? Oh, I know a Frodo Baggins. He's my second cousin, once removed from his mother's side. Oh, he's right over -"

Then chaos erupted as Frodo and Sam both made a mad dash to silence Pippin. The five boys stood up and watched carefully. Frodo stumbled, the ring flew into the air, and then Frodo was gone.

The people in the bar panicked. They began to look around on the floor for the hobbit that disappeared into thin air. The five boys however, kept their eyes on the remaining hobbits, and Heero waited for Aragorn to make his move. The man in black dashed over, plucked Frodo from underneath a table and dashed up the stairs.

Several moments passed before the other hobbits made their way after them. Merry grabbed a lantern and Pippin grabbed the stool it had been sitting on. The five boys dashed up the stairs after them and watched as they busted into a door down the hall.


	6. Dark Demons and the Chosen One

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If you think so, you're a bit daft. I don't own Gundam Wing either, and if you think so, refer to the previous sentence.

Author's Note: Hello again, welcome to the next short installment of "Of Wings and Rings". I had a long and careful debate about what to do next and wrote two editions for this. I decided to have more fun and used this one. I'm sorry about the fact there are months between this chapter and the last, but I'm reevaluating most of my ideas and work. This one made it to the keep list, so it'll probably get more attention. Keep in mind, college will start for me in a month or so. Updates depend on how I manage my time around that.

Of Wings and Rings

Chapter the Next.

In hindsight, it was probably not wise to interrupt the hobbits' confrontation with Strider. For it seemed the hobbits not only didn't trust them, but him either. Strider's offer to aid them had been declined (swiftly by Sam) and no amount of argument from him seemed to be working. Heero didn't remember there being so much trouble. He began to wonder if he had an abridged edition. He shuddered to think how long an unabridged one would be in that case.

Strider was leaning against the wall with his hand upon his forehead, wondering what he was going to do to make the hobbits see to reason. The pilots were scattered about the room. Trowa and Wufei had stayed near the door, looking more like sentinels every time a hobbit shot a wistful glance toward the door. Heero had moved to the center of the room and seemed to be lost in thought. Quatre was trying his best to look non-threatening despite how odd he looked to the hobbits. Duo however seemed to not notice (or ignore) the tension in the room and had tossed himself onto the bed.

"As much progress as we seem to be making," Duo said after a long moment of silence. "We should probably lock the door and stay in here for the night."

Wufei nodded as Trowa closed the door. "If what was said about these Black Riders is true, the hobbits shouldn't be alone for any reason. They should stay away from the hobbit-sized rooms."

"We don't need your help," Sam said, once again showing how much distrust he had in the lot of them. "Misters Frodo, Pippin, and Merry are bright enough to handle themselves and their own affairs. If they want to go to the rooms Mr. Frodo paid for, than they shall."

"Now, now, Sam," Frodo said now softly. "No need to be rude. I think we should stay. If something happens in our rooms, then it is proof that we can trust them."

"All of them?" Merry asked. "But they don't seem to know each other. Strider sure doesn't know them, even if that Heero fellow seems to know him. How can we be sure?"

"We really don't have many options," said Frodo. "I don't know what Gandalf would have done. But we need to get to Rivendell, and we'll do much better with a guide."

"And a guide you'll find in me," Strider jumped in, seeing his chance forming before him. "I know the road to Rivendell, but most importantly, I can get there without the road. With the Nine about, you should stay off it."

"True," said Heero. "The road should be the last resort when the enemy is on your heels."

"We are excellent at hiding," said Duo. "We've been trained heavily."

"Heero's really good," Quatre said. "I've seen no one match his tracking skill before." 

"The more there are, the harder for us to hide," Strider said.

"Yes, but the more of us, the more supplies we could carry," Trowa said. "It's a long way to Rivendell, is it not?"

"Yes," Strider admitted. "More than a fortnight on foot, and I don't suggest going any other way."

"A trip that would be shorter if one travels at night, no doubt," Duo said. "And I've got the eyes for that. If I can spot a nickel with years' worth of rust on it in the middle of a dark alleyway, the woods at night will be no problem."

"Trowa's good at that too," Quatre smiled back at him. "And I know Wufei and Heero can both hunt. That would mean we won't need to carry as much food."

"And if these dark riders catch up with us, we are trained fighters. We can hold them at bay during your escape," Wufei said.

"The Nazgul are strong. Stronger than a band of boys," Strider said.

"We aren't your average band of boys," Duo smirked. "I'm known as the God of Death where I come from."

The hobbits looked aghast.

"Self-proclaimed," Quatre assured them, with a smile. "Duo's really just a raving loony. But don't worry about that."

Duo's eyes went wide, "QUATRE!"

Quatre giggled merrily, despite the situation they were in. "He won't harm a fly. I promise."

"You aren't helping the cause here, Quatre," Trowa said, though he too smiled.

"Let it simply suffice," Heero said. "That we are infamous and of great acclaim in our land. If a fight occurs, you will be glad we are in your company."

"You sure are talking a bit funny, Heero," Duo said.

"His trying to mimic their speech, fool," Wufei said through narrowed eyes.

"Like I mimic you for raving, Wuffie?" Duo said wickedly.

Wufei glared, "Feel lucky, my sword is at home."

Duo looked surprised, "You're unarmed?"

"No, but my sword is at home," Wufei said, and one could see a slightly mischievous glint form in his eye.

"You have no swords?" Strider asked. "What weapons are you using?"

They froze. They all had their guns, going nowhere (even in the house) without them. Would they do any damage to show them in what is obviously a primitive culture?

"We are good at hand-to-hand, but we have some magic up our sleeves," Duo said simply.

Heero shot him a look. Pippin and Merry looked at Duo in wonder.

"Are you wizards?" Merry said, awestruck, then turned to Frodo. "Maybe we don't need Gandalf with us after all."

Frodo looked at Duo thoughtfully, "He doesn't look like a wizard."

"And he isn't one," Strider said, looking confused. "If he was, he'd be a member of the White Council, and Gandalf the Grey would have spoken of him to me."

Duo looked over at Heero and saw something he rarely ever so there: a mischievous glint in his eye.

"He's Maxwell the Black," Heero said. "He travels under the name of Duo, for he is also considered a demon back in our land. He's been called Shinigami there before."

The pilots looked at Heero in wonder, as the hobbits and Strider looked the same way at Duo.

"A demon, you say," Sam said. "Does he do black magic then?"

"Yes," Heero said. "But it's difficult for someone his age. So it happens rarely."

Duo smirked, deciding that if Heero was wanting to be playful, who was he to spoil it for him? "It's hard to control. But don't worry. It only happens when I'm very angry."

"And he's very easily amused," Wufei added, with a smirk of his own.

"But I'm not the only one," Duo's grin widen, unable to stop himself from weaving more into the lie. "Wufei is a . . . Chosen One."

"A what?" Pippin asked, sucking it in.

"A Chosen One. The Goddess of Justice chose him as her servant. He travels the land to ensure that justice is served."

"That seems far-fetched," Frodo said, not biting as easily. "A goddess, you say?"

"Oh yes, and a beautiful one at that. Can't you tell he's not quite human? Look at those eyes of his," Duo supplied.

They all glanced at Wufei in wonder.

"They are shaped rather oddly, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, "But I'm not familiar with Big Folk."

"I've seen many races of Men," Strider said sternly, "I admit to not seeing eyes like his before. But there are many races far to the east we have no contact with."

"That's where we're from," Quatre said, stepping in upon seeing a chance to relate them to the world they were in. "We come from the Far-East. Some of us, farther than others."

"You're of a fairer head than most of the people of these lands," Strider admitted. "But I've seen hair like yours among some of the Rohirrim. Perhaps your originally came from there."

"Alas!" Frodo interrupted, "Such things are not important now! I need rest! If I can't go back to my room, I shall steal that bed."

Frodo climbed unto the bed beside Duo. Strider laughed. "Yes, you hobbits have traveled far. Rest and we shall keep watch over you. The bed is big enough for the four of you."

Duo stood as the other hobbits scrambled up. The four dived beneath the covers and three different snores soon came from the bed. Frodo tried to sleep, but found that he had too many questions to keep at bay. He closed his eyes tight and tried to summon images of the Shire.

Thinking the hobbits were all asleep, Strider spoke again sometime after.

"I'm having trouble believing the tales you weave," Strider informed. "If you come from a distant land, how could you have possibly wandered this far into these?"

"All who wander are not lost," Heero said.

Strider was taken a back. "How do you know those words? Surely you don't know the one who spoke them."

Wufei intervened this time, "Heero can tap into knowledge much more than his own. He has a gift of seeing fragments of the future."

Heero caught on quickly, "It's beginning to fail, I'm afraid. It won't last much longer from my homeland. It'll probably be long-gone before Rivendell."

Strider seemed unconvinced at this bit of far-fetched news as well, but couldn't think of any reason for Heero to know any of the words to the song Bilbo wrote besides the one offered.

"I have no alternative than to believe that, I reckon. But until I've seen proof, my trust will be thin," Strider responded.

"What do you want to see?" Duo asked, as if he was ready to put on a show.

"Anything that will confirm something you have said," Strider stated.

"Very well, in the morning, you'll look for horses and find no one will spare them. The only person willing to give you anything will be Bill Ferny, who has a pony and will ask for far more than it's worth. If what I say happens, then you have your proof."

"But if I have the lot of you, I won't need horses or ponies. You could carry the supplies instead."

"Yes, and horses would leave very obvious tracks that we would have to cover. However, we should buy the pony anyway and load as much of our burden upon him. The lighter we move, the faster we move. Trowa and I could always hang back to disguise his tracks, and ours as well."

"Well, I can agree to that if there is such a pony," Strider reasoned. "If I look for this pony and find him, you'll have earned my trust."

"Mine, too," Frodo said, making himself known. "Though, I already believe that you speak some truth. You predicted that Pippin would mention my name, and you knew Strider was in the corner."

Strider looked startled, "He did?"

Heero nodded, "Yes, and Ringwraiths will attack the hobbits' room later tonight. We should leave the Prancing Pony as soon as we are able."

"Ringwraiths are already here?" Frodo gasped. "We need to hurry. They must have made good time. They had to go out of the way to the Brandywine Bridge, cause we had taken Buckleberry Ferry."

"Rest, Frodo," Strider said. "We'll leave every in the morning. We'll keep watch. But you hobbits will need as much sleep as you can get. There is no telling when you'll get the chance again."

Frodo nodded, but didn't look anymore comforted than he had the first time he had tried for sleep. Still he managed to drift off just as the braided boy said something about 'missing flying already'.


	7. RingWraiths and Weathertop

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Lord of the Rings.

Author's note: Wow, a whole year since I've written on this. I had no idea college would take up so much of my time. I'm really lazy and dreadfully sorry about it. I'll try to get better at this. This isn't proofread much, and I've lost my beta reader. Forgive it's quality. Comments and suggestions will be well received.

Author's note 2: If you ever read any of my story, Escaping Mortality, you might be interested to know that I'm looking for places to post it. I'll put a link in my bio so you can find it.

Of Wings and Rings

Chapter the Next

The morning came to them with a loud thud and a pounding upon the door. Outside they greeted Nob, the hobbit under the tavern owner's employment. He seemed surprised to see them all in the room together, but expressed relief to discover the hobbits well. Apparently the hobbit rooms had been ransacked, and Nob was told to round up some men to aid in a search party.

They found themselves on the road soon after with the pony Heero spoke of, along with a letter from Gandalf the bartender forgot he had. Inside were the lines Heero had spoken the day before to Strider, cementing once again Heero's story. Strider agreed to trust them, and the hobbits (Sam very reluctantly) agreed to trust them as well.

Once far out of town and away from ears that could be tilted toward them, Strider spoke, "We should head toward Weathertop. It's about half-way between here and Rivendell and allows a great view of the surrounding area."

"Sounds good," Heero agreed, and with that they traveled mostly in silence, the gravity of the quest ahead seemed to quiet even Duo and Pippen.

It wasn't long however that even that could weigh down their tongues as a more important issue surfaced.

"I'm hungry," Pippen moaned. "We missed second breakfast AND elevensies."

Duo moaned in agreement. "Surely we can stop to eat something soon."

"It's best to keep moving," Strider said, as Heero reached into his pack and tossed an apple to the hobbit.

Pippen looked down at the apple in dismay, but smiled as Quatre produced him a loaf of bread to go with it.

"It ain't much, but we shouldn't stop until we have too," Quatre said, as he handed a piece if bread to Duo, who felt shortchanged for getting less than the hobbit.

"You got a bit more than bread in there, Quat?" Duo asked, as Quatre passed more bread out to the hobbits.

"Naturally, but I can't give out too much or we'll run out," Quatre said.

"Can't I have a bit more?" Duo asked as Quatre seemed to be generous toward the hobbits.

"You can go a bit longer than they can without food, Duo," Quatre said. "You've been trained to go days on nothing but water. The hobbits haven't been."

Duo seemed to sulk and Wufei secretly passed him a piece of jerky when no one was looking. Duo smiled brightly for Wufei and carefully nibbled on it, making sure no one spotted him. Wufei watched him eat it, a comtemplative look on his face. Pippen seemed to catch on though and kept sending Wufei looks of longing till Wufei had to give him some before he accidentally ratted them out.

And travel continued much like that for the rest of the trip to Weathertop. They traveled all day, camped just before nightfall and ate, slept until dawn and continued again.

When they slept, Trowa and Quatre would lie next to each other, with plenty of space between them to mask their relationship (not sure how the hobbits and Strider would take it). Duo always made sure to put Wufei between him and Heero. The hobbits all slept next to each other and had a habit of waking up the next morning in a tangle of limbs and blankets as none of them could lie still as they slept. Strider slept close to the hobbits, so he could guard Frodo if they were attacked. Duo slept close enough that he woke up several times to find Pippen with a hand wrapped around his braid.

Upon reaching Weathertop, they made camp and the hobbits were left to their devices as Strider and the pilots searched the hill for signs of Gandalf, in case he had beaten them there. Quatre opted for staying with the hobbits when Heero gave him an odd look. Heero and Trowa often communicated with looks, and Quatre was starting to get the hang of it. He wasn't sure what Heero was trying to tell him exactly, but he knew a command to stay when he saw it. He watched the hobbits mingle amongst themselves nearby, Sam always spoke in whispers and would often glance over to see if Quatre was still there.

Quatre easily adapted to Sam's suspicion, unlike Duo and the others, who were starting to get rather annoyed with it. Wufei was of the opinion that Sam may cause them trouble later under the guise of good intentions, so the feeling was mutual in that case. Quatre however could feel the loyalty rolling off Sam in waves. It was a powerful force that seemed to wrap itself around Sam and Frodo, whom he had the loyalty for. It was a blind devotion rarely found and made Quatre think of Lady Une.

Quatre pegged Pippen and Merry to be of similar design, but not nearly of the same intensity. Both cared deeply for Frodo and were fond of Sam in an offhanded way. Their moods were often reflections of each other. When Merry was mischievous, Pippen seemed twice as much. When Pippen felt weary from all the travel, Merry seemed to be even more burdened, as if shouldering some of Pippen's weight. Quatre had a feeling they'd functioned in this manner for a long time now.

Frodo was another character entirely. Frodo always seemed burdened even when he smiled at Pippen in merriment or at Sam in fondness. The effect of the ring ran rather deep, and Quatre suspected that Frodo was hardly even aware of it at this point. Quatre could tell the ring would leave the hobbit with a lasting effect long after he was parted with it.

The ring itself was the oddest reading Quatre ever picked up in his life. It was an inanimate object that was flooded with evil intent and malice. The corruptive power of it was obvious. Quatre could almost see tentacles of black darkness wafting off it. It seemed to have an odd intelligence, as if it was alive and planning ways to escape from Frodo and get somewhere else. The ring seemed to call out to him, begging him to take it from Frodo and deliver it to its proper place. . . .

Quatre was not stupid however. Heero had forewarned him about the power of the ring. He knew to expect to feel drawn to it after being in its presence. He braced himself for its pull. Quatre suspected that he was the only one who felt it so strongly and it was because of his empathy.

Quatre "heard" a rather abrupt silence from the hobbits and shook his head and noticed that he had been staring at them and they noticed. More specifically, that he had been staring at Frodo's chest, where the ring was currently looped through a gold chain Strider had given him to prevent accidental use of it. Quatre blushed and it seemed to make the hobbits even more suspicious of him.

"Forgive me," Quatre said, his voice deliberately softer to seem harmless. "I guess none of us told you. I'm an empath. That means I can feel other's emotions."

"Emotions?" Pippen asked, looking very interested and not suspicious anymore. "Like sadness and stuff?"

Quatre nodded. The other three hobbits seem to cling to their suspicions, so Quatre continued, "Mostly just current ones. But sometimes objects become covered in a particular emotion due to prolonged exposure and intensity. The ring is one of them. It's covered in hatred, malice, and greed. It's hard for me to ignore."

Frodo nodded his head solemnly, an action that drew Sam's gaze to him immediately. Merry seemed to consider it, and found himself glancing to where the ring hung underneath Frodo's shirt.

"I'm sorry for staring," Quatre said. "It's rather distracting."

Frodo nodded again. "No worries. I understand the pull of the ring. I've only had it for a short time and I can already feel the effects. Not strongly, but its there."

Sam seemed to accept that, and didn't look upon Quatre with such harsh suspicion anymore. Suspicion was still there, but it was much less than before. Quatre could barely feel it anymore. It was as if Sam made the effort to hide it from him, something that amused Quatre quite a bit.

Heero and Duo walked into camp about then and seemed to notice the solemn atmosphere. Heero acted as he always would. He planted himself down in the center of the camp, Frodo in the center of his vision, but not obviously watching him. Duo frowned at the hobbits before planting himself beside Quatre and whispering quietly into his ear.

"What's going on over there?'

"They caught me staring at the ring," Quatre explained as Sam eyed Heero to see if he too was eyeing Frodo. "I explained my empathy. It seemed to calm everyone but Sam though."

Duo snorted and glanced at Sam, who had turned his head at the sound. They gave each other long looks before Frodo drew Sam's attention away, speaking about something in the Shire.

"Sam's gonna be like that no matter-"

Duo was cut off by the abrupt darkness as the fire suddenly went out. There was a mad scrambling as the hobbits hurried about trying to hide, and Heero's voice broke free above their chaos.

"Quatre, get the fire going! Duo, find two hobbits and stick to them!"

Quatre felt Duo's braid brush past his arm as Duo took off. Quatre knelt down beside where the fire had been and desperately went to work. The sounds of footfalls came from everywhere as the hobbits gave cries of panic. Emotions were flooding Quatre's system and it was hard not to give into the panic and join the hobbits in their terror.

Suddenly the darkness was full of people. Strider, Trowa, and Wufei had dashed toward them when they saw the fire go out. Quatre felt a wave of desire flash across his system that knocked him back onto his butt. It was so intense, Quatre had to curl himself into a ball as his body shook with the force of it. His throat was suddenly dry as he struggled to breathe and he couldn't emit a single sound to call for aid.

He didn't need to however. He felt a familiar grip on his shoulder as Trowa found him. Trowa's concern and fear brushed against Quatre's mind and he latched onto it. He got a firm grip of his own on Trowa's arm and held on tightly. He pressed himself flush against Trowa, the contact amplifying Trowa's emotions and slowly pushing the desire away.

His head partially cleared, he could now hear his surroundings again. The hobbits were still screaming when the fire restarted. Wufei's face was lit up in stark relief as he stepped back from his handy work. Torches were lit with startling speed, and soon the hobbits' cries were drowned out by the most horrid shrieking Quatre had ever heard. A new wave of despair past over him, and Quatre could barely remain conscious. Trowa clung against him, his gun drawn.

Heero picked up a tree branch and lit it. He quickly passed it to Strider and started lighting a second. Strider swung the branch in tandem with his sword and managed to catch one of the wraiths on fire. It gave a horrible scream and vanished into the trees.

"Damnit it to hell!" Duo shouted as Frodo suddenly disappeared from his sight. In shock his grip on Merry and Pippen loosened, and both of them took off in the direction Frodo had been in. Sam had a butcher's knife in one hand and a frying pan in the other, looking about for Frodo. The wraiths seemed to ignore the hobbits all together.

Wufei lit his own branch and surveyed the chaos about him. The eight remaining wraiths were darting between them, with swords drawn. We watch Strider set a second one on fire, before he glimpsed a wraith standing still just on the edge of the fire's light. It's stabbed into the empty air and a bone-chilling scream erupted. The sword was pulled back, and blood was running down it.

"Master Frodo!" Sam shouted and dashed toward the wraith. Sam collided into the back of the wraith's legs and the creature stumbled a bit. Sam crashed back onto the ground.

Wufei stepped over him with ease and lit the wraith's hood on fire. The wraith screamed and turn, swing it's sword toward Wufei's throat. Wufei jumped back and the sword lightly grazed his collarbone. The wraith dashed off into the woods. Upon it's retreat, the others followed.

Heero, Duo, and Strider ran off after them. Wufei was about to follow when a feeling of foreboding passed over him. His pause allowed him to watch as Frodo reappeared into view. Sam practically fell upon him and turn at his shirt to get to the wound beneath.

Quatre gave one last whimper of his own as Frodo cried out in pain as Sam tried to clean his wound. He slowly pulled himself free from Trowa. Trowa put his gun away and held onto him. His concern was clear on his face, despite his normally calm features.

"I. . .I'll be fine," Quatre panted. "They're gone."

Quatre glanced around him and his breath caught in his throat. He really COULD see the darkness wafting off Frodo now. It curled out of the wound like a flame in slow motion. Quatre felt his heart break as he noticed the same effect rising from Wufei's collarbone. It cast across his face and shadowed his features. Wufei looked far more sinister.

Trowa followed Quatre's gaze, but he could see nothing. He assumed it was because of the wounds that Quatre was upset. Wufei was digging through his bag in search of a bandage to apply to his wound as Heero, Duo, and Strider returned.

"They got away," Duo said, throwing himself down next to the fire near Quatre.

Heero planted himself next to him as Strider walked over to check out Frodo.

"He's got a fever, Strider!" Sam shouted. "His burning up!"

"This isn't good. His been stabbed by a Mordor blade," Strider said. "We need to search for an herb. If I described it to you, do you think you can find it?"

The hobbits all nodded and listening intently as Strider spoke. They quickly dashed off with torches to find it. Strider stood and glanced over at Heero.

"Did you foresee this too?" Strider asked.

"I did, but it was different," Heero said. "but similar enough. The wraiths would be drawn here by the fire, but I explained that to you earlier. Some things must happen."

Strider looked annoyed, "I understand, but I wish you would have told me Frodo would be wounded. I could have discovered the herb in advance. He wouldn't have to suffer."

"You won't find it," Heero said. "We need to hurry to Rivendell. We need to move much faster than we are."

Strider nodded, "Elrond can help Frodo much better than I can. Mordor blades are cursed, and even a scratch can kill you without treatment."

Wufei finished with his bandage, "Then we must hurry then."

"Is it deep, Wufei?" Quatre said. "Do you feel any different?"

Heero and Strider both looked over in surprise.

Strider gaped, "Are you injured as well?"

Wufei nodded, "It is a small scratch. I've had much worse before. However, if that blade was curse, it must also be tended to. I don't have a fever, and I don't feel ill."

"But do you feel different?" Quatre repeated, he was staring at the wound intently from his seat next to the fire. "You feel different to me."

Wufei paused to contemplate, "I do feel strange. Sort of heavy, but not unbearably so."

Duo pulled Wufei down next to him and looked the wound over. Wufei felt a blush invade his cheeks at the attention, but said nothing.

Strider sighed, "You may be lucky. If anything changes, you must keep us informed."

Wufei nodded, catching Heero's glare at him over the top of Duo's head.


End file.
